Watershed Extended
by tacit83
Summary: Finale post-ep. Conversation at the swings continues.


Kate kept staring at the ring like it was some kind of alien artifact she was trying to make sense of. Castle let her work out her thoughts; he remained frozen in spot and just watched the emotions play out over her face.

Finally, after what could have been hours (but was probably less than a minute), she closed her eyes. She kept them shut as tears started to leak out. "You don't actually seem happy about proposing, Castle. I don't think this is what you really want."

Castle climbed back onto his swing and took her hand. Though she let him hold it, she didn't necessarily seem like she appreciated the gesture. "I guess right this second I'm not happy, Kate. I'm terrified."

"Terrified that I'll say no, or that I'll say yes?"

Castle sighed and looked down at his feet. "Both, I guess. I want this, Kate. I want you, always. But this isn't the time or way I would have chosen to propose. I realized I wanted to marry you, but there are a lot of things we need to work out. We both need to learn to be more open and honest, we need to discuss kids and careers and everything else that comes with a life together. If you say no, it'll break my heart. If you say yes, we're still going to have so much work ahead of us, and it's going to be hard. So, I'm scared. Either way I'm scared."

Kate had listened to him intently. After he finished speaking she finally squeezed his hand, which made him look up into her eyes.

"Did you mean it when you said you want this no matter what I decide to do about the job?"

"Yes, Kate. It's not going to be easy. Everything from a new city to not working together to how busy you'll be... but this ring is my promise that one way or another, I'm willing to put in the work to make us work."

She smiled at him. It was a tentative smile, but genuine. "Maybe they'll let me change my mind then. Maybe I can still take it."

He looked shocked. "You turned it down?"

Her smile grew. "Yeah, I called them on my way over here."

"Did you turn it down for me?"

"The thing is, Castle, I really wanted that job. I told my dad that I was taking it, even though it meant you'd probably hate me."

Castle cringed. "I'd never hate you, Kate. But if you thought I would, and decided to take the job anyway, it doesn't sound like you stayed for me."

"It's what I thought for a little while. But then I went to do my last interrogation and I realized that the Twelfth has been more than a job for me, it's been my home. And I wasn't sure I wanted to leave. And then I thought about how much it didn't feel like home the summer you were gone. How much it doesn't feel like home when you're gone for more than a day. It was my home before you ever came into my life, but now it feels incomplete without you."

Castle looked perplexed. "But if you call them back and take the job, you still won't be at the twelfth."

Kate smiled again. "I'm not explaining this right. The twelfth was my home. Now you are. I'd miss Ryan and Espo and Lanie, but I think I could be ok without working with them. If I end up working there forever, that's fine by me but I'm also interested in seeing what it's like out in the bigger pond. But I'm not ok without you."

"Are you saying yes?"

Kate narrowed her eyes a little and shook her head. "I don't know Castle. I'm kind of mad at you."

"I shouldn't have stormed out, I know."

She squeezed his hand. "Not for that."

"Then what?"

She pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket and looked down at it. She smirked and handed it over without making eye contact. "Because, you kind of stole my thunder."

Rick looked down at the paper in his hands and read:

_Rick, I'm sorry I lied. I'm sorry I haven't let you in the way you deserve. I'm sorry I've thrown us into turmoil. I love you. You are my north star, my solid ground. I got lost, but I finally remembered that my feelings for you would guide me home again. I don't want to waste anymore time wondering where we're going. I just want to go there. Marry me?_

Rick looked up and grinned. "Well, where's my ring?"


End file.
